Inspiring women:
 Natalie Moore – AFR Boss Young Executive of the Year 2009 ('The Motivator')
Regional Manager Greater Brisbane, Residential Communities QLD, Stockland
In her early twenties she was managing retail stores in New Zealand. Now, with Stockland, she's responsible for numerous projects, including the development of a number of communities including the master-planned community North Lakes, which will eventually be home to around 25,000 people.
Topping off her achievements, last year she was one of the final six to be awarded the AFR Young Executive of the year.
What path has your career taken to date?
I was very fortunate to start my career managing retail stores in New Zealand in my early twenties, which then lead to me eventually becoming the operations manager for Clive Anthonys Electrical in Queensland nearly ten years ago. This was a fantastic opportunity and my experiences there helped me significantly when I made the transition across to property, joining Stockland in 2005.
In the last five years at Stockland I have been given the opportunity to work in three management roles, most recently as the Regional Manager for the Greater Brisbane Residential portfolio. This role is responsible for the development of a number of communities including the master-planned community North Lakes, which will eventually be home to around 25,000 people.
Where do you find inspiration? Who have been your role models?
I am continually inspired by people from all sorts of backgrounds and believe it is important to surround yourself by people who are passionate and driven, as this in itself provides inspiration. I have worked for some incredible leaders both at Clive Anthonys and most recently at Stockland who have provided inspiration through what they have achieved themselves, and through the encouragement and support they have afforded both myself and others. I have also been lucky enough to have had exposure to some phenomenal leaders through running women’s networking events and the My Mentor program, which we run at Stockland.
Do you see yourself as a role model to other women? Please elaborate.
I believe a good role model is someone who lives by their values and is honest with who they are and in what they do. They need to be someone who inspires others to strive to be the best they can be and who leads by example. Most importantly I think a good role model is someone who recognises where they have come from and those people who have helped them along the way, and who in turn seeks to help others and support them on their journey. I hope that I am seen to be successful in my pursuit to be true to these beliefs.
Do you see yourself as a role model to young people? Please elaborate.
I think that because I was managing people at a very young age myself, I am able to show younger people that you can achieve your goals at any age. I have also not necessarily followed the traditional path of going to university then starting a career, and have actually only recently completed my MBA, which I have studied par- time whilst working full-time over the past four years. Hopefully this shows people that if you are committed and determined then there are many ways to achieve career success.
What experiences are you really proud of? Highlights, achievements, celebrations?
The recent completion of my MBA was a significant highlight for me and definitely worthy of celebration as it is a long and challenging road when you are holding down a full-time job. I am also really proud of the fact that in my first four years at Stockland I received two promotions, which was definitely a highlight, particularly as I was new to the property industry. Finally, in 2009 I was one of the final six to be awarded the AFR Young Executive of the year, which was a fantastic experience.
What has been your biggest challenge? What have you had to struggle with in your career?
The biggest challenge I have faced was when I moved across from retail into property. I went from an industry that I had experience and knowledge in and with that came a level of confidence to an industry where I had no experience or knowledge in. The skills I had built over the years where transferrable but there was also a huge amount to learn, and I learnt very quickly to admit what I didn’t know and draw on the talent around me to help on the journey. This was also an incredibly exciting time in my career as I was learning and challenged every day.
What advice would you offer young people who are struggling to reach positions of leadership?
Be patient! Work hard, remain committed and stay focused on performing in every role you are given as you can be a leader without having the ‘job title’. Start behaving like a great leader now and the recognition will come.
Secondly, listen to and learn from the leaders you admire and seek guidance on areas you can improve on. One of the biggest challenges in leadership is learning to have great self insight – a trait you can start learning now!
What do you look for in recognition for your achievements?
The biggest thing I look for in recognition of any achievements is the sense of accomplishment that you feel when you know you have done something well. It is more about personal satisfaction than outward recognition for me. What I do hope, though, is that when you do achieve something that others use it as proof that they too can achieve their goals.
Have you ever mentored/provided support to other women around leadership issues?
In 2007 I commenced rolling out Women’s Networking events in our Queensland office, which was a great way to bring all the women across all departments together to hear inspirational stories from speakers across the broad range of topics. From this I also piloted Maureen Franks My Mentor program, which is all about challenging women to step up in their careers, and builds a great platform for women to build lasting networks and strong relationships. I am pleased to say that I have confirmed our third rollout of this program, which will commence in a few weeks.
It is incredibly important for us as leaders to continually be providing support and leadership to other women, and I think it is important to note that I have also provided support/mentored some men as well. I have had huge support not just from women but from many of the men I have worked with.
Have you ever been mentored?
I have had a number of business leaders whom I have been fortunate enough to build relationships with that have helped me immensely as I have worked through my career to date. I have also identified formal mentors who I regularly work with to assist me in ensuring that I am continually challenging myself to grow and develop, and that I remain focused on the things that I value in my career. It helps a lot to have mentors to work with as I set my goals, and it helps me to keep a balanced view.
What hurdles do you think young people face today?
One of the challenges that I believe is facing young people today is that it is becoming increasing unaffordable for them to venture out on their own once they finish school or university. With rising debt amongst younger people and an ever changing economic environment, it is becoming more and more important for young people to invest in developing a solid career plan so that they are well equipped to enter the workforce and set themselves up for success. They need to be dynamic and able to adapt to the many opportunities that may be made available to them, not always in the areas they expect.
What challenges are on the horizon for you?
Attracting, motivating and retaining key employees is always high on the agenda and remains a key challenge for me as we start another new financial year. Closely related to this is the importance of staying dynamic and growing as a leader in a global environment which is continually changing – we need to continue to stay ahead of the curve and strive to challenge the status quo and do things more effectively and efficiently.
Is there a quote you stand by or rules of thumb you live by?
- Remain true to your own values and beliefs
- To remain open to all opportunities as life will often throw you a curveball and sometimes taking these chances can really pay off.
- Give everything you do 110 percent as positive energy and passionate commitment really does drive great outcomes. Lead by example!
- See people for what they can be and encourage and inspire your team members to achieve their successes. They will then support you and be energetic, motivated and passionate
- Build strong networks and make sure that you don’t just take but give a little as well and remain loyal.
- Partner with key stakeholders to drive joint successes and they will in turn be supportive of your business
- Continually challenge yourself and your teams to push the boundaries when developing strategies for success, particularly in challenging times. Think how we can do it, not why we can’t do it.
- Lastly, make sure you are clear on your goals with your peers and managers. They are not mind-readers so you have to ask for the opportunities, not just expect them to come.
Natalie Moore will be speaking at the Queensland Public Sector Young Leaders Conference 2010 on Friday 12th November. For more information, including registration details, click here.
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